Boston Woman Set Fire To Her 'Haunted' Apartment Because The Devil Told Her To
A Boston woman set fire to her apartment earlier this week sending one person to the hospital. The reason she did so was because she claimed the apartment was haunted and that the devil told her to do it.
45-year-old Nikea Rivera is now facing one count of arson after setting fire to her apartment in a triple-decker home. She was arraigned on Tuesday after starting the two-alarm fire at around 11 a.m. that same day.
Apartment set on fire because a woman claimed there were ghosts (Image Credit: Boston Fire Dept. & James Cullity/Twitter)
According to District Attorney Kevin Hayden, Rivera told police that she started the fire in her ground floor apartment because "that house is haunted." He says Rivera then told officers, "The devil made me do it, there are ghosts in my house."
The fire spread to all three floors of the apartment building. Boston firefighters used ladders to rescue two residents from the second floor as they battled the blaze. One of the residents was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
"It's fortunate that this woman's actions did not result in any residents or responders being seriously injured or killed. Her statements are obviously disturbing and an immediate evaluation is the proper next step," Hayden said.
Woman set her apartment on fire because the devil told her to do it (Image Credit: Boston Fire Department)
A judge ordered Rivera to undergo a mental health evaluation. That evaluation was to take place at the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital.
Rivera is due back in court on Friday, January 13. That might be a date the court should reconsider. Who knows what kind of shenanigans the devil has up his sleeve that day.
Despite The Apartment Being Burned Down Things Could Have Been Much Worse
The fire caused extensive damage to the apartment building. In addition to the fire damage the windows on all three floors were destroyed. As a result Massachusetts Emergency Management crews were sent to the building to board it up.
It's good news that nobody was severely injured or killed in the fire. The apartment doesn't appear to show any signs of the gatekeeper or key master, which is also a good thing.
Hopefully the next time ghosts show up around Ms. Rivera, she's able to ignore the devil and do the responsible thing, which is to call the only group that can help in these situations, the Ghostbusters.